52. ROIRDAN THE VANQUISHED #3
Slowly, he stepped, until his wings bumped the fence on either side of where my legs hung. When I gently lifted a piece of his hair, he stiffened. I threaded my fingers into the long strands, sectioning off three thin pieces at the top right side of his head and overlapping them into one.
“What are you doing?” he asked, growing so still that I thought he might lock his knees and fall over.
“I’m braiding your hair.”
“What is braiding?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sense of panic in his voice. “It’s where I take three small sections of your hair and intertwine them into one pattern. Then, once I get to the end of the braid, I secure it with a tie to hold it in place.”
He turned his head, lowering his eyes as he listened and felt the movements my hands made, mapping the process in his mind.
Once I was done, I used my own worn-out leather hair strap to tie off the braid, and draped the plait over his shoulder for him to examine. “See?”
He looked down, taking the braid into his hands. “Fascinating.”
“It suits you well.”
When his eyes met mine, they brightened.
Behind him, a roar split the air, then another.
We turned just in time to see the clouds swirling, disturbed by wings as three Dreki cut through them.
Niall led, followed by Vanir, then Roirdan.
Their beasts were right on each other’s tails.
All three riders braced themselves in the saddle, knees bent, hair whipping in the wind as they raced toward the arena.
“They’re coming in quite fast,” I said, gripping the wood beneath me and suddenly feeling like they were going to need a little more landing room than what they had been given.
“Shit—” Remic spun, wings spreading wide as he launched over the fence and took me with him.
We swept out of the way just as all three Dreki descended on the pen in a fury of claws and wings.
And as Remic and I had both anticipated, the fenced enclosure was nowhere near big enough to allow them adequate room to stop.
Their paws pounded the ground, ripping away chunks of grass as they barreled across the pen and plowed through the fence where we had just been.
All three males broke into laughter as their Dreki finally came to a stop.
Remic lowered us to the ground and snapped his wings in irritation. “Are you all right?”
“Thanks to you,” I said, smiling.
The corner of his mouth tilted up, and as he turned toward the others, I saw him reach for his braid to make sure it was still intact. When he surveyed the busted fence, his smile fell into a frown. “I am not cleaning this up,” he called out.
Vanir laughed again, steering his mount toward us. “Don’t worry, I’ll have it taken care of.” He swung his gaze to me. “Sorry about that. We haven’t had a good race in a while. Your mate, as always, claims another win.”
Niall approached on his Dreki, patting it on the neck, while Roirdan’s Dreki remained where it landed, seeming more out of breath than the others. Surprisingly no one dismounted.
“What’s next?” I asked.
“Getting all six in the air as one,” Vanir answered.
“They’ll work as a unit once we get them with the rest of the ranks, so it’s best to start them now.
” He whistled at the other fae, who had discovered Nivelle and surrounded her.
All the while, she sat atop the fence, glaring down at them like a buzzard deciding who she would pick apart first.
Roirdan began grinding his jaw, giving away his irritation as he watched each male tear their interest away from the witch and hurry over.
“This won’t take long since we have our meeting shortly,” Vanir said. “But if the rest of you would like to return—”
“I would like to go flying,” I interrupted, turning toward Remic. “With you.”
His brows pinched, and he glanced from me, to the Dreki, then back to me again. “Out of everything that is capable of flight, you want to fly with me?”
“Mmm-hmm. Silas can take Nivelle, and you can take me,” I said matter-of-factly.
A flush of color graced Remic’s cheeks.
From atop his Dreki, Niall grinned.
Roirdan looked particularly inclined to agree with the plan, probably because it meant Nivelle was out of range from these other males who still kept stealing curious glances in her direction.
Remic and Silas shared a look, but Silas didn’t object. “I would actually like to see more of these lands myself. Haven’t spent much time in this neck of the woods.”
“Do enjoy, then,” Vanir said, turning his Dreki toward what remained of the fence. “I’ll send these two to come find you as soon as we’re finished.”
I met Niall’s stare and smiled. He returned it, knowing I would be in good hands, and set off after Roirdan and Vanir.
“How well do you know this territory?” I asked Remic.
“Like a second home.” He held out his arms. “Any place in particular you would like to go?”
“Your choice.”
Meanwhile, Nivelle had abandoned the fence and was making her way back to us, watching with what looked like concern on her face as the group split into two.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she neared.
“The four of us are going on a scenic tour,” I answered as Remic lifted me into his arms.
Nivelle eyed her brother’s outstretched arms as he stepped up to her. With an unenthused sigh, she allowed him to scoop her up and said, “How thrilling.”